Things Hidden in the Shadows
by Jay Shadow
Summary: After a particularly painful psyche attack, what will Rogue do about the two girls who helped her but aren't supposed to be in the mansion? Especially when she finds out one is Professor X's long lost daughter and the other the daughter to the man who is the bane of her greatest secret. The man she hates most in the world.
1. Meeting the Daughters

Things Hidden in the Shadows

"I think we should help," suggested a timid voice seemingly out of nowhere.

"Nah," a second voice retorted with a sarcastic tint. "We should just let her die."

"Well, Brie, if we don't hurry up she will die," argued the first voice gaining confidence as she continued.

"You're the one just standing there like we got all day. Plus, I'm not the one who can help her, Minnie. You are. Anyways, there is no guarantee that she'll die," Brie concluded.

"Oh, yeah," Minnie rebuked getting sarcastic herself. "She'll just be in enough intense agony to drive any person insane including us. Well, more insane than we already are."

"Maybe along the way, we'll get to go toe to toe with the Acolytes," Brie grinned. To anyone watching, it would look like a cat caught the canary. And planned to play with it a bit. Minnie saw through the sneer directly to the reason.

"Are you hoping to a see an Acolyte in particular?" The smile vanished of Brie's face as quickly as it came. Minnie giggled. They both saw the person walking down the hall. As the figure started heading in their direction, the two girls blended in the shadows.

The figure strolling down the hall just happened to be Rogue. Well, I shouldn't say strolled. Strolled would imply that she was having a fun or at least pleasant time. Anyone who would dare call Rogue happy at the moment would get a swift kick to the nether region. And if it's a girl, well, she would be having a new bold spot. That should tell in how a good a mood the girl known as Rogue was.

Rogue's powers were acting up again. Actually, I shouldn't say that since it was just the psyches misbehaving. She hadn't had any problems since...well… this wasn't the time for that. The day had started off fine. No one annoyed her more than usual. As soon as she wanted to push her limits a little more than normal, the psyches got in the fight over her well-being. Of course, some were concerned while others wanted her to. According to them, the more powerful she got the more people will want to manipulate her. Then again, the rest of them just wanted her to die. They must have gotten some of her stubbornness must have leaked into them because none of them would back down. All the emotions were breaking her walls and pouring into her. If she didn't control of them soon, she knew what would happen.

They would knock her out as a defense mechanism. So instead of the psyches taking control of her, she got to be unconscious. That would be all fine and dandy except for the part where it wasn't always painless. But, hey, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, right?

A binding pain swept through Rogue and immediately fell to the ground clutching her head. White spots danced across her vision, and she let out a blood-curdling scream. It felt as if a hot poker had been forced into her brain through her right eye. It had always been bad, but this was excruciating. Rogue felt as if she was being cooked from the inside out, and she knew from personal experience that she was not exaggerating. She briefly wondered where everyone was before tormenting torture regained every ounce of her attention. All of a sudden a wave of calmness and content overcame her. She saw a pair of blue converse before she passed out.

Rogue came to groggy and disoriented. When she realized she wasn't in the hallway she "went to sleep in" in, she shot straight up. She was in a bed that definitely wasn't hers. Last time something like this happened, she was strapped to the bed. Rogue ran her hands over her body to make sure everything was there. Once she was positive all her limbs were where they were supposed to be, she examined the room she was in. It looked liked the standard issue for the younger kids, having two beds and all.

Except that Rogue know for sure that someone had been living in it by using Wolverine's enhanced senses. The people who were living here covered here tracks well. Rogue suddenly heard voices down the hall. Normally she would have called out to them, but she didn't recognize the voices at all.

"What if she wakes up?" whined a high-pitched voice.

"Then the Earth stop spinning and all creatures while bow down because the almighty Rogue opened her eyes once again," a voice that we know as Brie remarked. Too bad Rogue doesn't know. Yet.

"Your sarcasm isn't appreciated," the less sarcastic one said.

The door opened and two girls came in. The stopped once they realized that Rogue was awake.

Minnie turned to glare at Brie, "I told you she would wake up."

Brie put her hand over her heart in pretend pain. She let her hand drop after a second or two. "Nope. Still breathing."

"Hey," Brie and Minnie start having had forgotten Rogue was there. "Yeah. Injured girl over here. You mind telling me who the hell you are?" They just stared at her like she was crazy. Ok then. "How about telling me where I am?" Just more stares. "Okay, are you just going to stare at me all day? You don't have to answer. I was just wondering."

Minnie and Brie finally seemed to snap out of it. "Oh. Sorry. Just didn't expect you to be such…. such…. such…."  
"A smart mouth," Brie offered.

"Yeah. Pretty much. Anyway, I'm Minnie, and that's Brie. Right now you're in our room. I kinda thought you would be smart enough to figure that out on your own, but whatever."

Rogue just stared for a second. "You don't live here. You can't, I would've noticed you."

"Well, I know you're pretty talented in all. But if I don't want to be see, you won't see me," Brie said with a usual hint of cockiness.

"So you're just trespassing," Rogue comments. Not with anger just curiosity.

"Butterflies used to be caterpillars," Brie says out of nowhere.

"Okaaaaaaay. Ignoring Brie's randomness. I think I have more of right to stay here more than anyone," Minnie says offhandedly.

"Minnie!" Brie yells exasperatedly like this has happened many times before.

"What?" Minnie asked confused. She seems to realize what she does wrong but rolls her eyes. "She was going to find out eventually. I don't like keeping secrets from friends anyway."

"You can't go around telling random people you're secrets. Also, when did we decide to be friends with her?"

"Well, that's just rude. We saved her. We brought to our room. And she-"

"Is sitting right here," Rogue interrupted, annoyed at being forgotten once again. "You mind letting me in on this great big secret? I kinda don't like being left out of the loop, or I could find out without your permission. You're choice," Rogue pretended to reach for her glove. Well, Minnie hoped she was pretending.

Brie and Minnie seemed to have one of those silent arguments. Brie then sighed, and Minnie grinned. "Well," Minnie began. "I can't tell you Brie's secret, but mine is that I am your dear Charles Xavier's forgotten daughter," Minnie continued bitterly.

Rogue blinked. Once. Twice. Now that she looked, she could see the family resemblance. Minnie had the same mouth and eyes. Mostly those eyes. They might seem innocent at first, but they both had those eyes that saw past all the defenses Rogue put in place. Those eyes that see what others cannot. Those eyes that say that they thirst for knowledge and haven't seen enough, but at the same time, they have seen too much.

Rogue let it go for now, being able to see that it was a touchy subject. Minnie turned to Brie expectantly.

"Oh. You expect me to air out all my dirty laundry because you did." She turned to Rogue defiantly. "And why would I do that?"

Rogue held her gaze refusing to be pushed around be anybody. "Because no matter how good you are, you can't conceal yourself from everybody in this mansion. Not when their all on a manhunt for especially when I already know your scent. Plus, Wolverine would kill you before you have a chance to tell him who you are and what this great big secret is," Rogue said, and both Brie and Minnie could tell she meant every word of it.

Brie suddenly grinned wolfishly. "You're the one who wanted to know. I assume you have heard of William Striker."

A shiver went down Rogue's spine. How could she not know _that _man? The word 'man' used as loosely as possible. That _creature _was the bane of Rogue's existence. The one… thing… that she would kill without any hesitation or remorse. Just the mere mention of his name fills her body with undying hatred. Minnie took a step back and Brie narrowed her eyes as if looking into Rogue's soul. Brie flinches at what she sees.

"Yeah, well. William Striker…. is my father."

A moment of silence. "Well, this day just keeps getting better and better."


	2. Excitement is in the Air

**Chapter 2**

Rogue stared at Brie with apprehension. Yes, she could see the family resemblance. It wasn't the kind of thing you would be able to notice without knowing what to look for. But Rogue knew. How could she not? She saw _his_ face every night in the exact same nightmare that she had been having for months. In the exact same memory. Brie had the check bones and those eyes. Those oh, so cunning eyes.

Rogue resisted her fight or flight instincts under the scrutiny of her enemy's daughter's sharp eyes. She couldn't blame Brie for her father's inhumane crimes. Nonetheless, she would be cautious around her. Rogue would not let her guard down and allow herself to be captured once again. No matter how friendly Brie appeared originally. No, Rogue would not let her guard down.

"Does the Professor know you live here?" Rogue suddenly changed the subject locking away the topic of Brie's parentage for another time.

Brie simply gazed at Rogue solemnly before nodding her head in acknowledgement of Rogue was doing, accepting the fact that Rogue wasn't ready to handle a secret she wasn't supposed to know. Minnie then scoffed, interrupting the trance Rogue seemed to be in. "Your dear _professor_ doesn't even know I exist." Minnie smiled sheepishly. "I'm too shy to go introduce myself I mean what would I say? 'Hey, Charles. Yeah, I'm Minnie. You know you're long lost daughter that you didn't know you had. So, how's your life been going in the seventeen years of you not knowing of my existence after you left Mom? Oh and did to mention that I've been living in your mansion for the past few weeks?' Can you imagine his reaction?" Minnie's voice became more and more high-pitched as she continued her rant while Rogue and Brie stared at her wide-eyed.

"You know I could just introduce you to him for you, right?" Rogue asked tenderly trying to calm the girl down.

Minnie jumped on the bed in front of Rogue before the other two girls could even blink. "Could you? Would you? Pleeaaaase I would love you forever."

Rogue simply gazed at her. "You give up your love way to easily," she commented. Brie nodded her head in agreement. "But sure I'll introduce you. It's the least I can do for helping me out."

Minnie beamed at Rogue with a smile so bright that Rogue wondered how Minnie's face didn't hurt. 'Seriously, how is it humanly possible to smile like that,' Rogue thought. Minnie suddenly bounced up from where Rogue hadn't even noticed she sat. Minnie pulled Rogue up out of the bed and started dragging her towards the door.

"Well let's go then," Minnie said excitement pouring of her in waves. Brie's lips twitched into what could kind of be considered a sincere smile if you tilted your head and squinted a bit. All of her emotion was in her eyes though. Her eyes showed happiness at her closest friend finally getting to fulfill her lifelong dream. They also revealed her appreciated to Rogue for doing this for Minnie. Rogue observed all this Minnie continued to take her out the room. After they passed Brie in the doorway, Rogue took control of the situation. She began walking in the direction of the professor's office.


End file.
